


Magic Ben

by apollaskywalker



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 14:52:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8582650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apollaskywalker/pseuds/apollaskywalker
Summary: Shy college student Mary Floyd is taken to a strip club by her friends where she gets a dance.(Title styled a la Magic Mike, because...well...why not?)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [grumblebee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumblebee/gifts), [Classylittlehobbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Classylittlehobbit/gifts).
  * Inspired by [These Kind of Dreams](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8331526) by [grumblebee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumblebee/pseuds/grumblebee). 



> Throwaway mention of an eating disorder

Mary gasped in horror and Prudence grinned with evil delight. “You said we were going to see a play!”

“No, I said we were going to see a _show_. Why do you think I stopped at the bank and got all these ones?” Prudence held up her purse, which contained an envelope of one-dollar bills.

“I actually wasn’t paying attention,” Mary admitted. “Your financial business isn’t any of my concern.”

Prudence laughed. “Well, anyway, we’re meeting Rose and Bea here and you are going to see a show. It is our duty to rob you of your innocence.” Mary had confessed in a game of never-have-I-ever that she had never watched porn and or seen a naked guy.

The parking lot wasn’t exactly full, but Mary pulled the elastic tie from her hair and used her hair to shield her face as they walked towards the entrance. Prudence took out her wallet and Mary did the same, expecting there to be an entry fee. Instead Prudence presented the bouncer with her ID. He checked her age and stamped her hand, then gestured for Mary to come forward. She fumbled with her ID and handed it to him with a shaking hand.

The bouncer, with a full, dark beard, had twinkling eyes and easy smile. His name was embroidered onto his shirt: Caleb. “First time?” he asked.

Prudence laughed, “We’re trying to corrupt her.”

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Mary wondered if she should tell him she didn’t want to even be there, but in truth, she _was_ a bit curious.

Inside, Beatrice and Rose had a basket of fries and soft drinks already on the table. Why didn’t they have alcohol? Mary wondered, if they truly intended to destroy the last shreds of her innocence, why not have her drunk and watching guys shake their barely covered asses at the same time? Of course, Mary had already consumed alcohol and been drunk, so it wasn’t as if they were looking to kill two birds with one stone.

“Hey!” Bea raised her phone and snapped a picture when Mary and Prudence made their way to the table. “There we go! Evidence!”

“Don’t put that on Facebook, please!” Mary begged, taking a seat. “My father will _kill_ me!”

“Relax, I’ll put it on Twitter,” Bea joked. “Now, if we get one of the girls to come flirt with you, that I’ll definitely put on Facebook.”

Mary groaned and Rose put her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. We won’t even buy you a lap dance, but here,” she handed her a bank envelope. “Just in case you feel like tipping a guy.”

The other girls counted out some ones from their own bank envelopes and handed them to Mary. She supposed she didn’t have to spend any of it and if they didn’t count on getting it back, she could just keep it. That way she could earn a little money off this adventure.

A young man dressed in cut off shorts and a mesh shirt approached their table. He gave them all a dazzling smile and Mary slid lower in the booth.

 _She knew him_. Oh God, she _knew_ him. He was in her abnormal psych class and currently her _partner_ in a project looking at how autistic college students coped with college. She knew he worked nights but he’d just brushed it off as just an average job, a way to get enough money to keep ramen in supply while paying off Yale’s tuition.

“How’s the evening going for you ladies?” he asked, strobe lights passed over him, highlighting the glitter smudged on his cheekbones and in his hair. “Can I get you anythi-“ he froze when he saw Mary.

“She’s all right,” Bea spoke up. “Just her first time at one of these places.”

He looked to his left and to his right, then spoke directly to her. “Mary, do you want me to take you guys to a private booth? You can still see the shows and everything but it might be less likely for your dad to find out you’re here.”

Her friends stared at her the instant he said her name. But at the mention of her father, their jaws dropped.

“I don’t care,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Then she cleared her throat and straightened up. She’d been recognized, what was the worst that could happen now? “No, it’s fine. Can I have a – a strawberry daiquiri?”

He nodded and took the rest of their orders, which took a few moments as they all processed what had just happened. Only Prudence ordered a drink as the other two already had theirs. He left to retrieve their drinks and Mary explained how she knew him.

“Shit,” Rose sighed. “Probably should have taken you to, like, New York instead of staying in state. Sorry about that.”

He returned with their drinks and told them to enjoy their evening.

“Son of a bitch,” Bea cursed as he walked away. “You know the guy with the hottest ass of them all and he won’t even flirt with us now. Why does your dad have to run on a conservative platform?!”

“The election was last year,” Rose reminded her.

“Oh, like he isn’t going to run for reelection. Goddamn.”

The show started, thereby shutting down the discussion.

Someone had apparently decided to make a profit off the _Hamilton_ popularity because a trio of men strutted out in revolutionary war uniforms. Or quasi-uniforms as Mary noticed there was a lot more skin showing than any soldier probably ever wanted to show. They stripped off their coats, tossed them aside to reveal waistcoats. Those were quick to go as well, tossed into the crowd. One landed on the table next to theirs and the shrieks were deafening.

After there was an announcement for two girls to come up on the stage for some dances.

Somehow, Mary was chosen and Caleb, the bouncer, escorted her up to the stage where two chairs had been placed. He sat her down in one and another girl took the seat behind her. “You ok with this, hon?” Caleb asked.

Heart pounding in her chest, Mary nodded.

The music started and two men crawled on stage from the crowd, which concerned Mary slightly. She had expected them to come from backstage, like the revolutionary war guys had. Her mouth went dry when she saw one of the dancers was her psych partner.

They got to their feet, danced for a bit, tossed their shirts aside. He approached her, tossing his shirt to the side, then entered her personal space, his hips pushed against her knees. Reflexively, her legs parted. He caressed her hair and their eyes met.

His beautiful blue eyes were full of concern but also warm and comforting.

He backed away, danced some more, then approached again, this time sitting on her lap, he bucked his hips, then moved quickly off her lap to grab her chair by the side. “Stay still,” he told her. Then he lowered her chair so that her back was on the floor, her legs in the air, still seated. He was gone, then back, his chest over her face, his head by her crotch.

She prayed that he wouldn’t press his face between her legs. Suddenly, her legs were over his shoulder, he was standing, and she was dangling upside down, her face next to his crotch. By the time she had a second to panic over it, he flipped her, her back against his arm, her legs over his other arm.

He set her down on her feet and caressed her sides, pulled her hair away from her neck and kissed his way up from her shoulder to her ear. “Still doing ok?” he whispered. She nodded; he twirled her like they were at a ballroom dance and not at a strip club. He pulled her flush against him, her back against his chest, she could feel his hardness against her. He ground against her backside, then gently laid her on the ground of the stage.

He climbed over her, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back up to him. There was surprising gentleness in his actions. It didn’t hurt, it was mildly irritating, but her heart was beating wildly and his constant movement kept her brain in a fog. He disappeared to dance amid the bills being thrown on stage, then returned, flipping her over so she straddled his lap. His hips thrust forcefully. She didn’t so much ride him; in fact, the bouncing reminded her of the hours she and Kitty would play on the trampoline. Was that supposed to be sexy? It didn’t really do anything for her.

He set her down on the stage and the other girl ripped off the other dancer’s pants, exposing the thong he wore.

Screams and yells from the crowd encouraged Mary to do likewise, but she couldn’t, she was frozen. He gave her a gentle smile, then lifted her up in his arms and spun her around.

The song ended and he set her on her feet and helped her off the stage amid a showering of money.

* * *

 

Stomach full of jitters, Mary answered her apartment door and let Ben in. They had planned this study session before she’d gone to the club and after wards, she’d received a text with the simple question of “still on to study tomorrow?”

Ben sniffed appreciatively. “Smells great in here. What are you cooking?”

“Pot roast,” she grinned. “I figured I should at least make you dinner after last night.”

He laughed. “Can’t say many clients do that.” Mary blushed and then felt his hand on her arm. “Look, about last night…” he trailed off and she looked away.

Both spoke for a while and then Mary gathered her courage. “Last night was fun.”

He let out a relieved sigh. Then, “You could rip my pants off now, if you want.” Their eyes met and he cracked up.

“Seriously, though, does your dad know where you were?”

“No, thankfully. I really don’t need a lecture about how college is turning me into a wild child and I need to go back to church.”

They did a bit of studying, alternating between quizzing the other on definitions and going over the study guide. After a brief joke about how the textbook needed to stop trying to introduce pop culture, they ended up talking about their favorite shows ( _Game of Thrones_ , _Star Trek_ , _Modern Family_ , and _Daredevil_ ) and their families.

“I’ve got four brothers,” Ben admitted. “It was chaotic, so not the greatest environment to study, but I pulled it off. Sometimes I had to threaten to kick their asses or tell on them to get them to shut up for half an hour –“

“A sister and a brother, constantly having to be perfect because of my dad’s political career. My mom threatened to divorce him when she found out Kitty was purging to stay thin, said it was his fault for being so hard on us. Nicky ended up in the hospital after he and his friends were racing – just a broken leg, but my parents were furious. And I was too scared to act out, someone had to be the sane one.”

“So that’s why your friends want to corrupt you.” At her questioning glance, he explained that the bouncer, Caleb, was his best friend and the one who’d gotten him the job. “I needed some money, and the quicker the better – you can make decent money if you have a rounded career. Women have an easier time in the industry, straight guys ‘ll blow a lot of cash to prove their manliness –“

“Are you gay?” she asked, trying to balance the memory of his hardness against her and his statement.

“Bi,” he said after a beat, clearly expecting her to react negatively.

“Oh…Rose thinks I’m either asexual or demisexual. I don’t know what I am.”

Ben was quiet; he ran his fingers up and down his glass. “I suppose,” he said slowly, “it would be inappropriate to ask if you felt any…attraction to me.” Mary was stunned and he continued. “Because…last night…I don’t kiss anyone during a routine but I couldn’t help but kiss your neck. I wanted you to enjoy it. I wanted you to enjoy _me_. I _wanted_ you. I still do.”

The following week, she admitted to her friends over pizza, ready to watch the latest episode of _The Walking Dead_ , that yes, she was dating Benjamin Tallmadge, the stripper.

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS ALL GRUMBLEBEE'S FAULT. She reblogged a post of Ben in 3x03 with the word "striptease" which prompted me to think of her fic where Ben's a dancer and George is a customer, only in this case with Mary as the customer.
> 
> Also, I have never, ever gone to a strip club and so the dance was shamelessly just a basic rehash of the one Magic Mike dance I watched on YouTube. I give the movie and its writers/choreographers credit for practically all of the moves.


End file.
